3. Nihon Shoki II — 3
1In one writing it is said:—"Ama-terasu no Oho-kami gave command unto Ame-waka-hiko, saying:—'The Central Land of Reed-Plains is a region which it is for my child to rule over. Considering, however, that there are there certain rebellious, violent and wicked Deities, do thou therefore go first and subdue it.' Accordingly she gave him the Heavenly deer-bow and the Heavenly true-deer-arrows, and so despatched him. Ame-waka-hiko, having received this command, went down and forthwith married many daughters of the Earthly Deities. Eight years passed, during which he made no report of his mission. Therefore Ama-terasu-no Oho-kami summoned Omohi-kane no Kami (the Thought-combiner) and inquired the reason why he did not come. Now the Thought-combining Deity reflected and informed her, saying:—'It will be well to send the pheasant to inquire into this.' Hereupon, in accordance with this God's device, the pheasant was caused to go and spy out (II. 13.) the reason. The pheasant flew down and perched on the top of a many-branched cassia-tree before Ame-waka-hiko's gate, where it uttered a cry, saying:—'Ama-waka-hiko! wherefore for the space of eight years hast thou still not made a report of thy mission?' Now a certain Earthly Goddess, named Ama-no-sagu-me, saw the pheasant, and said:—'A bird of evil cry is sitting on the top of this tree. It will be well to shoot it and kill it.' So Ame-waka-hiko took the Heavenly deer-bow and the Heavenly true deer-arrow given him by the Heavenly Deity and shot it, upon which the arrow went through the pheasant's breast, and finally reached the place where the Heavenly Deity was. Now the Heavenly Deity seeing the arrow, said:—'This arrow I formerly gave to Ame-waka-hiko. Why has it come here?' So she took the arrow, and pronouncing a curse over it, said:—'If it has been shot with evil intent, let mischief surely come upon Ama-waka-hiko; but if it has been shot with a tranquil heart, let no harm befall him.' So she flung it back. It fell down and struck Ame-waka-hiko on the top of the breast, so that he straightway died. This is the reason why people at the present day say, 'Fear a returning arrow.' Now Ame-waka-hiko's wife and children came down from Heaven and went away upwards taking with them the dead body. Then they made a mourning house in Heaven, in which they deposited it and lamented over it. Before this Ame-waka-hiko was on friendly terms with Aji-suki-taka-hiko-ne no Kami. Therefore Aji-suki-taka-hiko-ne no Kami ascended to Heaven and condoled with them on the mourning, lamenting greatly. Now this God had by nature an exact resemblance to Ame-waka-hiko in appearance. Therefore Ame-waka-hiko's wife and children, when they saw him, rejoiced, and said:—'Our Lord is still alive.' And they clung to his robe and to his girdle, and could not be thrust away. Now Aji-suki-taka-hiko ne no Kami became angry, and said:—'My friend is dead, therefore have I come to make condolence. Why then should I be mistaken for a dead man?' So he drew his ten-span sword and cut down the mourning house, which fell to earth and became (II. 14.) a mountain. This is Moyama (Mount Mourning) in the province of Mino. This is the reason why people dislike to be mistaken for a dead person.
2Now the glory of Aji-suki-taka-hiko ne no Mikoto was so effulgent that it illuminated the space of two hills and two valleys, and those assembled for the mourning celebrated it in song, saying:—
3[Another version is that Aji-suki-taka-hiko-ne no Kami's younger sister, Shita-teru-hime, wishing to make known to the company that it was Aji-suki-taka-hiko ne no Mikoto who illuminated the hills and valleys therefore made a song, saying:—]
4These two poems are in what is now called a Rustic measure.